BURY will be the first area in the UK to test new digital technology that will help to give children “the best start in life.”

Parents and carers will be able to use an Early Years App to complete forms online instead of having to fill in paper forms. This will allow them, and professionals involved in a child’s care to better track a child’s progress, identify issues earlier and better co-ordinate care. Vikki McClung, health visitor for the Radcliffe team in the Bury and Rochdale Care Organisation, said: “The Early Years App will empower parents to access everything they need to support their child’s development in one place."

The scheme covers children from birth to aged two-and-a-half, and parents of newborns in Radcliffe and Prestwich will be the first to trial the technology from March.

Cllr Tamoor Tariq, Bury Council's cabinet member for children and families, said: “Giving our children the best possible start in life is one of our top priorities, and we are delighted to be national pioneers in this project.”

Funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the project will help to transform the way health information is recorded and shared across the region.

It will also free up valuable clinical time for health visiting teams, thought to be worth around £10million per year in productivity, once rolled out across Greater Manchester.

Cllr Elise Wilson, portfolio lead at the GMCA for Digital City Region, said: “Investing in and upgrading digital technology is fundamental to transforming our public services, so that we can provide better care and support to local people now and into the future."

This work is hoped to pave the way for other public services to digitally transform the service citizens receive.